sports Lydia Lutz repeated as the Mid-State Conference cross-country champion in leading the Park Rapids girls cross-country team to runner-up honors at Thursday's conference meet at Crosswoods Golf Course in Cross Lake.
Lutz, who earned all-conference honors for the fourth year in a row, covered the 4,000-meter...
Park Rapids, 56470

Park Rapids Minnesota PO Box 111 56470

2013-03-04 17:10:26

Lydia Lutz repeated as the Mid-State Conference cross-country champion in leading the Park Rapids girls cross-country team to runner-up honors at Thursday's conference meet at Crosswoods Golf Course in Cross Lake.

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Lutz, who earned all-conference honors for the fourth year in a row, covered the 4,000-meter course with a winning time of 14:34. Alex Pederson also earned all-conference honors by placing seventh in 15:13 while Morgan Olson earned all-conference honorable mention honors by placing 14th in 15:34. Those three efforts helped the Panthers compile 58 points to trail only Detroit Lakes' 47 points. Park Rapids won the conference title last season.

In the boys race, Taylor Kimball (fourth in 17:44) and Isaac Overmyer (fifth in 17:46) earned all-conference honors as the Panthers finished third with 79 points. Detroit Lakes defended the boys title with 21 points while Crosby-Ironton was second with 68 points. It was the Panthers' best showing at the conference meet since placing third in 2000.

"I was worried about the meet because we had a number of girls who weren't at full strength. If they had been, I think we could have beat DL," said Park Rapids head coach Kerry Johnson. "I was so excited for Taylor and Isaac making all-conference. That has been a long time coming."

Following Lutz, Pederson and Olson in the girls race for the Panthers were Lora Remus (17th in 15:43) and Shelby Pierce (22nd in 16:08).

Completing the Panthers' team score in the boys meet were Bailey Mueller (19th in 19:10), Tanner Otterness (23rd in 19:17), Zac Haugland (28th in 19:23), Jake Waggoner (31st in 19:30) and Matt Sullivan (32nd in 19:32).

Dylan Ramstad-Skoyles of Detroit Lakes led the field by covering the 5,000-meter course in 17:25.

The top-10 runners received all-conference honors while the next five were all-conference honorable mention runners.

Competing for the Panthers in the 3,200-meter junior high race were Adam Mackley (11th in 10:07), Matt Konshok (26th in 11:15), Jacob Bridgman (31st in 11:43) and Wesley LaCoursiere (35th in 12:01).

"Everyone ran well and many times were great. The kids have been training in heat. They did a long run on Monday when it was 80 degrees. For them to run a flat course when it was 50 degrees was a real treat. Their times showed that," said Johnson. "They just keep working hard and their times are reflecting that work."